Rest, recharge and repeat

What does that look like to you?

So it's a Friday morning and you instantly feel like “Gosh, I’m glad I survived this week and that it’s FINALLY the weekend!”

Saturday pulls in and you wake up at whatever time you wake up at and you get on with the day. There’s a pile of laundry, breakfast needs to be sorted, kids need to go for extra curricular crap and you need to buy groceries for the upcoming week (when will AI take over that part?). It’s 3pm and the day is almost gone and you sluggishly get through dinner. Sunday rolls out and if you have service, you get ready for that and then mentally you prepare for work and all the upcoming nonsensical interactions you are going to get yourself into.

Weekend gone. It’s Monday and you are back to square one… or worse!

Why do we get excited for weekends again? It’s in our mind that we will rest, recharge and repeat however life is still life-ing. How horrid right? I find myself in the same cycle weekend after weekend and it’s my own fault. Seriously, I don’t make the effort to rest and recharge myself so on a Monday if I’m tired or not motivated-it’s because I didn’t use my weekend wisely.

Listen guys, from what I know, even God rested on a Sunday so what’s stopping us? What’s holding you back from just taking the much needed drive to a place of peace, be it a park, a beach, a place of worship or even a fun 1 hour break just for yourself to recharge. If you have kids, I completely understand the need to put your kids first, however, you cannot pour from an empty glass.

If you do not use your weekends wisely, it’s yourself to blame. Tough love guys but I say it because I’m guilty of it. I realized recently from my very wise sister that doing a grocery run does not count as an “outing”, it’s a requirement for your home to function, similar to how you function at work. You are required to do your job, get paid and go home. The key there is that you are rewarded when you go to work by means of a salary.

How are you rewarded or rewarding yourself with the work you do at home? How are you recharging from your catastrophic week of work if all you do are the mundane nonsense you have been doing all this time?

For me, I need to make some serious changes to how I spend my weekend and I wanted to share some ideas with you:

1. After your chores for the day are done, do something outside that involves nature or getting some sunlight. It’s a great de-stressing mechanism. Movement makes you feel more energetic and allows your brain to separate itself from the work week that you just had.

2. Don’t spend all day watching television! Guilty as charged however watching series after series is not the best way to de-stress because it involves zero movement. Sure there are times when you just need a duvet day or a day to just sleep but make sure it’s not a continuous weekend habit.

3. Make time for nature and family that you make you feel warm and fuzzy. We have so much beauty in nature and so many natural landmarks in each province that we haven’t even appreciated as yet and what better way than to gather your squad and go for a random chill session at the beach, park or even your closest farmers market.

4. Take an afternoon nap. I cannot get myself to do this however, taking a nice Saturday afternoon nap can energize you for a night of activity with your friends or family and help you to feel more relaxed.

5. If you prefer to be an indoor plant, that’s okay too but make sure that when you are lazing around , you aren’t thinking of anything that you shouldn’t be thinking of on a weekend. Lazing around and basking in the sun is what most cats do and they run this town so they doing something right.

6. If you want to become more spiritually inclined, make time to read scriptures and listen to religious music that make you feel empowered.

7. Join the gym or a local yoga club- that way you can make friends and learn something new.

8. Get a hobby! Be it dance, painting, sewing, crafts or gardening- go for it. Step outside your comfort zone and learn something because it gives you something to look forward to. Who knows it could turn into a great side hustle!

9. If you are married (with or without kids), make time for your spouse. If you are in a position to take a drive locally, do it. Time with your spouse is extremely important because even though life is life-ing, you need support and your spouse needs yours too.

10. Try and spend lesser time on chores. Ahhh, the working class female’s please don’t come at me, but seriously, let’s cut down the amount of time we spend in Checkers because IT IS NOT AN OUTING! If you have a lot of chores, get everyone’s help and use the afternoon as a mini outing. The moment everyone hears that, you will have people mopping the ceiling.

11. If you can afford to, join the gym. That way you know you have to go because you pay a lot for gym membership and the release that you get from a workout is one that helps to release very important endorphins and helps you literally sweat out the week you just survived.

Really take this time to think about what in the moderfontein you are doing to actually rest, recharge and repeat on a weekend or a day of? We can’t blame our employer for everything guys. There are things in our power and this is one of those things. Make the decision to take time for yourself irrespective of your situation. The beach is free. The park is free. The homes of family you feel comfortable visiting are free. The walks you take are free. The 5km run on the promenade or in a safe area where you live in, is free. Stop making excuses and own your weekends. Start that hobby that you always wanted to learn or start the Spanish class you promised yourself you would (duolingo app is awesome-I improved my English there, lol). Download apps for meditation and yoga exercises. For the love of yourself, make the time on a weekend or day off because if you don’t then how you feel on Monday is pretty much your fault. Sorry guys, mommas gotta be tough here kids.

The weekend is unfortunately over however, there’s always next weekend, so take some time to reflect and ask yourself are you ready for the week that lies ahead? If your answer was “no” then do not repeat the activities of today and look at managing your time so that you give yourself the break you truly deserve. Salivate over the next weekends plans and make the most of it. We aren’t from the feline colony so this is literally our only shot at giving ourselves the best life ever.

Think about what you did this weekend and if you are really “recharged” and “rested” for the week. If you answered YES, good for you, however if you answered NO, then it’s time to make some changes.

Let me know in the comments what you do to rest during the weekends, maybe I’ll give it a try…

Later fam!